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Ashton Kutcher, Demi Moore divorce could happen fast, expert says

A year after the couple announced their split, Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore's divorce case is moving into the Los Angeles court system.

Legal experts said they timing of the filing suggests the couple wants to wrap up the case by the end of the year.

In the divorce papers filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court earlier this month, Kutcher cited irreconcilable differences. He did not seek any spousal support, nor did he ask that Moore be denied any.

Christopher Melcher, a veteran California divorce attorney who has represented Katie Holmes and other celebrities, said that when a filing occurs late in December, it is because the couple wants to terminate the marriage before the end of the year for tax reasons.

"A case has to be filed before the court can enter a judgment," he said.

Moore allegedly netted $90 million in her divorce from Bruce Willis. It is unclear whether she will seek a lucrative settlement from Kutcher, who is Hollywood's highest paid TV actor and has made several investments in start-up tech companies. During their marriage, Moore, once Hollywood's highest paid actress, has also made money producing several successful movies.

It is unclear if the couple had a prenuptial agreement.

Moore announced the split in November 2011. "It is with great sadness and a heavy heart that I have decided to end my six-year marriage to Ashton," Moore said in a statement in November 2011. "As a woman, a mother and a wife there are certain values and vows that I hold sacred, and it is in this spirit that I have chosen to move forward with my life."

In recent weeks, Kutcher has been seen with his former TV costar Mila Kunis in her hometown of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.